Zoological Society. 253 



March 11, 1851.— J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair. 



The following paper was read : — 



A FEW WORDS ON THE SyNONYMY OF DiSTICHOCERA, A GENUS 

 OF LONGICORN CoLEOPTERA FROM NeW HoLLAND, WITH 

 CHARACTERS OF THREE SPECIES SUPPOSED TO BE UNDE- 



SCRIBED. By Edward Newman, F.L.S. etc. 



Among the invaluable labours of the late Mr. Kirby, none are more 

 useful to the general entomologist than his lucid and masterly de- 

 scriptions of new and remarkable forms of exotic Coleoptera ; and of 

 these, none afford to myself so much instruction and pleasure as that 

 entitled "A Description of several New Insects collected in New 

 Holland by Robert Brown, Esq.," and published in the twelfth vo- 

 lume of the ' Linnsean Transactions.' In thia admirable paper is the 

 first description I can find of the extraordinary genus Bistichocera, 

 although, as Mr. Kirby himself informs us, it was known long pre- 

 viously under the same name, and although he himself gives it as 

 "Bistichocera of MacLeay," a name which I am inclined to conclude 

 existed in manuscript only. Concerning the genus in question I lay 

 no claim to any additional knowledge of the structure, habits or affi- 

 nities of the insect described by Mr. Kirby ; but the labours of col- 

 lectors, amid the seemingly inexhaustible riches of our Australian 

 colonies, have placed within my reach a greater number and greater 

 variety of specimens. Mr. Kirby has only made us acquainted with 

 a single species, and a single sex of that species. Mr. MacLeay has 

 added a second, which has also been described by Guerin, Boisduval 

 and myself under a variety of names. Three other forms of the 

 genus have occurred to me, making the number five in all. Of these, 

 three are certainly females, and two as certainly males. The object 

 of this communication is to express my views as to associating the 

 sexes, and to make known two supposed species which were pre- 

 viously uncharacterized. 



Genus Distichocera, MacLeay (MSS.?). 



Distichocera, Kirby, Trans. Linn. Soc. xii. 471. 



"Labrum transversum, tetragonum. Labium membranaceum apice 



bilobum : lobis divaricatis. Mandibulse trigonse, edentulse apice 



incurvse acutse. Maxillae basi trigonse, apertse. Palpi filiformes. 



Mentum transversum, trapeziforme. Antennse sensim crassiores, 



disticho-ramosse." — Kirby, I. c. 



1. Distichocera maculicollis. 



Mas. Distichocera maculicollis, Kirby, 1. c. 



Distichocera maculicollis, Audinet Serville,Ann.Ent.Soc.Fr.iii.59. 



Distichocera maculicollis, Boisduval, Faune de I'Oceanie. 



" Corpus fere cuneiforme, subtus pilis argenteis nitidum, supra ni- 

 grum, obscurum. Caput subcordatum, pilosum, canaliculatum 

 utrinque ante antennas carinatum. Oculi brunnei. Antennse 

 breviores, nigrse : articulis omnibus apice biramosis (duobus pri- 



